e low granite base of a tall obelisk which stood in front of the
temple pylon, and said:

"As Governor of Tanis, the City of Rameses, with power of life and death
at all hours and in all places, I declare my Court open."

"The Royal Court is open!" cried the multitude in the accustomed form.

"This is the case," said the Prince. "Yonder man who is named Khuaka, by
his dress a captain of Pharaoh's army, is charged with the murder of
a certain Hebrew, and with the attempted murder of Ana the scribe. Let
witnesses be called. Bring the body of the dead man and lay it here
before me. Bring the woman who strove to protect him, that she may
speak."

The body was brought and laid upon the platform, its wide eyes staring
up at the moon. Then soldiers who had gathered thrust forward the
weeping girl.

"Cease from tears," said Seti, "and swear by Kephera the creator, and by
Maat the goddess of truth and law, to speak nothing but the truth."

The girl looked up and said in a rich low voice that in some way
reminded me of honey being poured from a jar, perhaps because it was
thick with strangled sobs:

"O Royal Son of Egypt, I cannot swear by those gods who am a daughter of
Israel."

The Prince looked at her attentively and asked:

"By what god then can you swear, O Daughter of Israel?"

"By Jahveh, O Prince, whom we hold to be the one and only God, the Maker
of the world and all that is therein."

"Then perhaps his other name is Kephera," said the Prince with a little
smile. "But have it as you will. Swear, then, by your god Jahveh."

Then she lifted both her hands above her head and said:

"I, Merapi, daughter of Nathan of the tribe of Levi of the people of
Israel, swear that I will speak the truth and all the truth in the name
of Jahveh, the God of Israel."

"Tell us what you know of the matter of the death of this man, O
Merapi."

"Nothing that you do not know yourself, O Prince. He who lies there,"
and she swept her hand towards the corpse, turning her eyes away, "was
my father, an elder of Israel. The captain Khuaka came when the corn was
young to the Land of Goshen to choose those who should work for Pharaoh.
He wished to take me into his house. My father refused because from my
childhood I had been affianced to a man of Israel; also because it is
not lawful under the law for our people to intermarry with your people.
Then the captain Khuaka seized my father, although he was of high rank
and beyond the age